I think Cleo is a tad overused for cats... But we just named one of our foster kittens that, so I guess we're following the crowd... However, our other pets are unique!
The dogs are Shasta and Birdie, our permanet cat is Carmel, and the other foster cats are Indigo, Fozzie, Morrisey, Garfunkle, and Jemima.

I think besides Cleo, the only other overused pet name we've used is Goldie for about five different goldfishes.
-Athena

I actually have fallen prey to one of the names on the list. My family once had a calico named Callie, and another callico named Cassie. Now my mom has one named Mocha, so I guess we got more creative over time.

We had a black cat named, you guess it blackie and a grey cat named Greyie (I don't know how to spell it since it isn't a name). Yes I was young and not too creative.

My mom currently has Mocha and a male Bluepoint Balinese named Gary, which is funny since it is a old man name to me and he is a lazy old male cat.

I agree about getting creative with animal names. I joke to my husband that the names he hates for future kids will be used on our future pets.

I am proud to say that this past week I officially adopted my foster kitten that I've had since late June! He's a brown tabby and I named him Loki (I swear Tressa that I had not read your post on here at the time I named him! Just saw The Avengers a few too many times!)

On the subject of bad pet names, my vet school classmate and friend just inherited a puppy from her Fiance's sister, and the sister was calling the dog Mylow. Yes, with that spelling. My friend at least changed it to Milo! Her two cats are named Washington and Arizona, because we're from Arizona and go to school in Washington

Kaleo*: Mongrel (I love this name, it was the only name I like and the name the girls could prounounce correctly, lol.) (I wonder if I should reconsider the name now for a child. I didn't have him for long to really get it attached for a dog's name.)

Current:Brandy*: Named mostly because of her coat. Smartest of all the four-legged-buddies I have ever had. Not really sure on her breed, when I adopted her they said she was half (crap, cannot remember off hand right now).

Maia*: She was born in the spring of '10 or '11 (my mind is having blanks, so I cannot remember little details right now.) She is a Miniature Schnauzer. She is so freaking submissive, that it is super annoying, never had a dog like that, but even so, she is adorable.